By now, you’ve probably seen pictures of our bookshelves. In today’s world books are not cheap, but there are cheaper ways to build up a nice collection. We have our own private goal to have 1,000 books in our library. After that our next goal will probably be 2,000! Who knows. If you are anything like us at Umbra Ex Libris, you might want to grow your own collection. So, what’s the best way to go about it without breaking the bank? Here are a few ways to build your book collection without spending a fortune on books.
Library Sales
Local libraries often receive many book donations. Sometimes these books do not go on the library shelves due to space limitations, or maybe they are not in the best condition. Sometimes, libraries host book sales to help raise funds for the community or the library itself. These sales can be a great place to find some cheap books you do not already own. The biggest downside to library sales is sometimes they do not have the best selection. If you are looking for a particular author or book to add to your collection these might not be the places for you. If however, you are open minded and have nothing in mind while looking you can find some great hidden gems.
Yard Sales and Estate Sales
We love going to yard sales and especially estate sales, not just for the books. Oftentimes, the people who host these practically give away books. We went to a “yard sale” where they were just giving away books for free. Estate sales can be especially valuable because there can be some rare books in the sale. Rare books like signed copies or first editions of certain books, can be great additions to book collections. This is my favorite way to find books because I never know what I will find.
Discount Book Stores
In the few places we’ve lived there has always been discount book stores. The one closest to us now is run by the humane society. They have a huge selection for 2 dollars a book. This is a great way to build a collection of your favorite authors. It also makes a fun date to go pick out books for each other based off the cover or what the book is about. Currently, we have been going to these discount book stores to better build our collection of classics, as we were lacking. This is probably the best method to build a full book collection for a very low price.
Thrift Stores
Thrift stores often have a decent amount of books offered at a low price. Similar to library sales, you have to go in with the mindset of not looking for anything specific. Thrift stores also get a ton of donated books, often beat up and old, but sometimes you just might find something you want or something your collection is missing.
Shop the Sales
Are you looking for new books over used ones? We love going to Barnes and Noble and browsing their countless number of shelves, both in person and online. Barnes and Noble always has sales of some sort . Last time we were there, we bought a few new classics with wonderful cover art. The books were cheap but on top of that they were buy one get one half off. Browse your local bookstore often for these types of things, if you are looking for new books. You can also always check out the Book Annex, where Barnes and Nobles keeps all there clearance selection.
Allocate Funds
When you go to Barnes and Noble it can be challenging not to walk out of the store with 50 books. A good idea is to have a monthly or bimonthly amount of money to spend on books. Put some money back each paycheck to spend solely on books. It doesn’t have to be a lot of money, like 20 bucks a paycheck is perfectly okay. Having money put back specifically to build your collection, allows you to shop for new, expensive books you want and love. It’s also a good idea if you are searching for that rare book to add to your collection. If you use a combination of methods mentioned above you can buy a lot of books cheaply, with your allocated book funds.
Amazon Wish list
Every Christmas we have many books on our Christmas list for friends and family to see. Why stop at the holiday season though? Birthdays, anniversaries, Easter, Valentines Day, National Popcorn Day, Fourth of July, any holiday can be a gifting holiday if you’re brave enough. Leave those expensive signed hardback copies of books on your wish list. This is a good way to slowly build up nice versions of books that you want. Amazon’s wish list is a decent tool to use, because your friends and family can view your wish list at any time. Make sure to keep it updated though so they aren’t buying duplicates.
Become a Book Reviewer
This method is the most difficult on this list but can be very rewarding. One day, hopefully soon, Umbra Ex Libris can do this as well. This method requires a blog or a strong social media presence. If you read and write enough you can make this work. With a strong social media presence you can reach out to publishers to review upcoming books and spread the word about them. If you are big enough they can send you a free copy for you to review and write about. Imagine reading books before they are ever put on a shelf for free.
Join a Book Community
For those duplicates you might receive, there are Facebook groups, and communities on Instagram to buy, sell, and trade books. Some people trade books they have read or already own. In these communities you can trade your books or buy books in great conditions for a great price. Not only do they trade books but also they host giveaways and competitions to win books. If you want you can enter these to try and win some free books. The sense of community between booklovers is also a huge benefit.
Thrift Books
Maybe you don’t want to go shopping for books. You just want to stay inside and snuggle up with some coffee and a good book, but you still want to add to your collection for a good price. Thriftbooks is a great site to visit to find some cheap deals. Just order the books you want and they will ship them right to your door. You can pick the condition of the book. The better conditioned book, or hardcover copies will cost you more, but this is a cheap method to add books you want without ever having to leave your house.
Marry Someone with Books
All jokes aside, this can be a fantastic way to gain an immense number of books. Having a partner with your same interests in books is beneficial to both of you. It makes going on dates to bookstores possible and you can compare your great finds. You can combine your book collections together to make one giant collection. Plus, you find a partner that loves to read and decorate your ever growing number of bookshelves.
Conclusion
Don’t get discouraged or intimidated by the number of books out there, or by the number of books some collections boast of. Everyone starts somewhere. A micro amount of books is the first step to owning a massive amount of books. If you follow some of these methods, it can be cheaper to grow your collection so it doesn’t break your bank. Always keep an eye out for great deals or rare finds. If you want a book that isn’t on sale, it’s okay to buy it. Value is subjective and if you want it, that’s a good enough reason to buy a book.
Am I missing a method you use to collect books? Leave a comment below and I might just add it to the list. If I am missing it, I probably don’t know about it, and I too need to continue to grow my collection. Also, feel free to tell us about your amazing book finds. We love to read them!
As always, happy reading and collecting!